FOLK OG RØVERE / “FotiHouse”

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7 Responses to “FOLK OG RØVERE / “FotiHouse””

First of all; thanks for another excellent start to my working week! Also, as a native Norwegian I’ll be happy to provide some more information on Folk & Røvere.

1. The lyrics describe a woman’s plan to take her lover on a trip to the moon and then back again to change the world, bombing the Norwegian parliament, digging a hole to China, dropping in on Hell to see who’s there, before going home to make sweet love… It doesn’t make more sense in Norwegian

2. The band’s name means (literally) People & Thiefs and refers to one of Norway’s most famous children books “People & Thiefs in Cardemum City”. Not so much a band as a collective, the masterbrain behind it all is Ulf Nygaard who also runs the label http://www.sohappy.no (Norwegian only so far, but you can send him an email)

3. I have no clue as to their connection to Brazil, but I suspect this is an actual sample. Most of their music is based on loops and samples, and previous members of the band have included several (semi)famous Norwegian DJs, such as DJ Strangefruit and DJ Prins Thomas…

4. The song title doesn’t make sense in Norwegian, but I suspect it is a play on the phrase “fot i hose”, literally translated: “foot in sock”, meaning “fits like a glove”. But that’s a guess.

Other facts: – F&R release their latest single “Supermann” today (15 August) and a new album in September – They sing in what is known as Modern Norwegian, a language based on the dialects in Norway rather than Danish as the “official” Norwegian.. – They sometimes refer to their music as “white black music”, which you’ve already picked up on….

Well now, this Roberta Flack album is a deep sentimental favorite for me and my lady. We first heard her Stevie Wonder cover ‘Lookin For Another Love’ while departing a family wake. The opening scale eminated from someone’s car as we hugged and laughed and cried and exhausted, said our goodbyes to the extended family. So this interpretation of a favorite (Stevie is damn near family) by another favorite, double-soaked us in a situation already drenched with nostalgia. But like Miles, Roberta possessses a cool, intelligent horn, and things don’t get muddled and sticky; just sharp, thoughtful longing and so much soul for perspective and pain. Roberta’s ability to transcend or rise above the production leaves the album hovering beyond terms judging its ‘success’ at achieving a contemporary sound. While interesting (perhaps risky) choices were made in the studio, the resultant artifact is nearly classic.

Maybe it’s because I’m a vocalist and I tend to reflect on the little nuances that make the sounds that pour out of people similar or dissimilar.

I do hear a bit of the Roberta Flack influence that you both speak of, but when I hear Beady Belle (which I REALLY like), I hear a cross between Esthero and Karen Carpenter. Karen’s smoothed-out alto and Esthero’s edgier attitude and nasally inflections.

But I’m taking off my thinking cap…because sometimes I don’t want to know WHY I like something, only that I DO!

Personally I haven’t heard that much on Folk og Røvere, and I have not heard the song “Fot i hose”, but the few I have heard I mostly like.

First of all: “Yess!” is about the summer and how great it is with no stress. And second: “Supermann”, which is about a guy who says he’s Superman, but can’t do any of the things which Superman does (and the names are English footballers).

I have also heard “Fru Hagen” and “Utadæsjælåpplevelse”, but I don’t think they are quite as good.

Btw: I guess you can translate “Fot i hose” with “Piece of cake”, when something gets done real easy.

Btw 2: Where are you from, and do they play “Folk og Røvere” on the radio where you are from?

Mtume says: Thanks for all the info, John. And to answer your questions, I’m from New Orleans, Louisiana where they most certainly do not play Folk Og Røvere on the radio.